$2.62

From the Twin-Daddy:

This is what two dollars and sixty-two cents looks like.

We have had a very busy week getting two articles ready for publication, sending off our tax returns, birthing classes, and two doctor visits in the meantime. We have been burning the candle at both ends, and the only ones getting enough sleep in our house are the Great Dane and the two boys. We are looking at making up some of that sleep this week.

Ultrasounds by Disney

We met the perinatologist or, as the insiders call her, the Perinate. I will now call these doctors the Perinators. We went to the Land of Perinators and got an ultrasound last week from a chipper lady tech who was firm but friendly. She wouldn’t give us any advice, but she also acted as sort of a Disney safari guide for ultrasounds. She had a well-rehearsed patter about what she was doing and what we were seeing that was fairly pleasant and reassuring.

“Here we see your baby’s heart. When I look at the heart I want to see all four chambers and the blood vessels. At 19 weeks your baby’s heart is about the size of the head of a nickel. On the left of the babies heart you will see our hippopotamus, please keep your hands inside the boat.“

After the tech measured all the various bits of the boys, she told us that we were looking at two boys very close in size with good growth ahead of their due date by about 8 days. We were told we shouldn’t revise our due date, and it looks like September 8 or 9 is the day. I have to realize that as much as I wanted the due date to move up 10 days this is one of those things that we might want to believe because it makes us feel better. That being said, I can still strut because my boys are about 8 days bigger than their due date suggests. They are growing very well.

• Alex = 337 grams
• Dominic = 317 grams

For those of you who didn’t grow up with the metric system one American penny is 2.5 grams, and that means our kids are each about $1.30 in pennies.

• Alex = $1.35
• Dominic = $1.27

Alexander

Dominic

They are separated by about $0.08. According to this measurement their concordance = 94%.

This is how close the boys are to each other.

Now those who remember the previous concordance measurement of 98% might be tempted to freak out because this number seems smaller. Take a moment and do so and then start reading again.

Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome is defined as discordance of greater than 20%, and we’re nowhere near that.

This is what the beginning of Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome looks like.

The other thing to keep in mind is that this poor lady is trying to get two rather rambunctious tummy-monkeys to hold still long enough to get her measurements. If you’re an engineer or scientist the words ‘margin of error‘ should pop into your mind immediately and you nod and then stop freaking out. If you’re not an engineer or scientist, you should just understand that a lady poking your wife’s goop-covered belly with a ultrasound wand isn’t looking for really precise measurements so much as a gist of how things are doing in there.

The gist is both boys are doing well, and their growth is ahead of schedule. Again, that is very good. TTTS is also an issue that affects the baby’s hearts, and our boys are both in the 130 range, and during our measurement their heart rates were within 3 beats of each other. Once again, this is good.

The Perinator

After the tech left, the Perinator came in, and she was all business. Not being overly talkative she grabbed the ultrasound wand and probed the goopy tummy with pursed lips occasionally frowning at the monitor. Speaking from personal experience, a frowning ultrasound tech is enough to make anyone irrational and when it is the high risk pregnancy doctor you break out in a cold sweat. You are completely certain that there is some horrible problem in there from the look on the Perinator’s face. For all you know it might be the worst case of hyper-rondel-menta-hiamitus that she’s ever seen and the only cure is to kill and eat the husband alive here in the ultrasound room with mustard , cheese slices, and at least a 15-ounce glass of water.

Fortunately, she just had her grumpy-face on that day because without batting an eye or cracking a hint of a smile she told us absolutely deadpan that, “Everything looks fine,” and, “Do you have any questions?” I promise it is more hilarious in the telling than it is when you are sitting there. We asked some questions and went home a bit bemused about it.

The OB-GYN of the Gods and the Flying-Monkey Show

Mary had made an appointment the next day with one of the OB-GYNs recommended by our general practitioner, Dr. Renwick. This turned out to be an exceptionally good idea. She also wanted a peek at the boys’ hearts with the ultrasound because it was easier with twins to get heart rates on an ultrasound. However, before we got the wand and goop out for the flying-monkey show, she sat us down, and we just had a conversation. She asked us if we had questions, and she answered all of them. What she didn’t have immediately, she went and looked up for us. Never rushed at any point, when we were done with our questions, she checked the kids, and happy with what she saw, she sent us on our way. We left feeling very confident in her and completely reassured.

A Tip for Twin-Parents

So, here is a twin tip for you. I think midwives are great, and I strongly advocate for their role as care providers. Pregnancy isn’t a medical problem to solve but rather a process that is guided which I think midwives understand very well. That being said, as a twin parent you’re sitting on top of a probability pyramid that has made you an unusual and possibly dangerous case. My advice is to respect the role of midwives but work with a doctor when you’re dealing with a high risk pregnancy. In our case, we have the best of both worlds because our doctors work hand-in-hand with midwives. Respect the midwife, but when you’re in the higher risk category, err on the side of doctor.

Wifewatch 2010

Food

She’s still eating like a champ, but we’re hitting the top end of our growth curve so we’re pulling out some starchy carbs and replacing this with leafy vegetables and protein. We’re also seeing some indigestion.

Mood

She’s a very giggly pregnant lady. I swear those kids are going to feel like they’re being deprived if they aren’t being constantly bounced around by somebody laughing.

Sleep

With our articles out of the way, we’re both looking forward to some extra sleep.

Babies Countdown – The Double Header

The due date is being pushed back to September 9, and the Twin-Daddy feels sheepish for wishful thinking.

143 days until September 9

• Today is 19 weeks and 4 days (again).
• Thursday, April 22 is week number 20 and child birthing class number 4.
• Tuesday, April 27 is the Sacramento Mothers of Multiples Meetup.
• Tuesday, May 4 is child birthing class number 5.
• Wednesday, May 5 is our next OB-GYN appointment.
• Wednesday, May 12 is our next appointment with the Perinators.
• Thursday, May 20 and the twins become viable as early as 24 weeks.
• Thursday, June 17 is Homefree Day. 90% of twins born at 28 weeks survive and that number only gets better from there on out.
• Thursday, August 12 and we hit our goal of 36 weeks minimum. From here on the twins could come at any time.
• Thursday, September 9 and we hit 40 weeks. This is our due date even if we expect the twins to possibly come sooner.
• 4 Weeks Post Delivery – Look for baby smiles.
• Sometime After the Delivery – 4.5 months of the Twinsanity Interval.